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The Closure of Schools, Ghosted by Mum, Naked Walkers Jan 05, 2021

Show notes

We're in another lockdown. Schools are shut like last time. Only children of key workers and those who are vulnerable can go in. Listeners have already been in touch expressing their concerns. We want to hear from you. Is it the right thing to do? Why has the messaging been so inconsistent. What impact will school closures have on working life, parents and children? How different is this from where we were in March? We want to hear from you.

We’ve talked about ‘ghosting’ before on Woman’s Hour, usually in the context of relationships where a partner or prospective partner just suddenly disappears and cuts off all communication. Hannah, a listener, wrote to us to tell us her story of being ghosted by her own mother. She talks to Emma.

Lockdown has been a perfect opportunity for people to get outside and explore the great outdoors. But would you consider doing it in the nude? Donna Price - a volunteer for British Naturism and head of the Women in Naturism campaign says that despite women's fears about body image and being leered at by men, walking and swimming naked with other people can be the most liberating, confidence-building and joyous of experiences. But what does it feel like crossing from being a clothes-clad member of society into being naked with strangers? Journalist Caroline Steel reflects on her own experience and the revelations she had about the way society views women's bodies.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

Emma Barnett presents Woman's Hour with Imelda Staunton, Mel C, Jeremy Hunt and Richard Ratcliffe Jan 04, 2021

Show notes

Emma Barnett presents her first edition of Woman's Hour with music from Mel C, Imelda Staunton on her new role in The Crown and the latest on Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe from her husband Richard and the former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Editor: Karen Dalziel

A farewell to Jane Garvey, Women on the moon, Ageing well Jan 02, 2021

Show notes

Holly Ridings is the first woman to be Nasa's chief flight director and is in charge of the Artemis programme - named after Apollo's twin sister - which will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. She tells us about the challenges involved with space travel and what makes a good astronaut.

More and more of us are living longer - so how can we do it better? Consultant Geriatrician Dr Lucy Pollock, CEO of the Centre for Ageing Better Anna Dixon, and Dr Niharika Duggal from the University of Birmingham explain how to approach independence, exercise, and even driving as we get older.

As The Archers celebrates 70 years, we look at how farming - the backdrop of the radio drama - has changed for women since it's been on air. Felicity Finch, who plays Ruth Archer, meets Mary Quicke - one of the real life inspirations behind the storylines.

What makes the night sky so magical? We speak to Karine Polwart, a folk singer whose new work takes inspiration from the stars she watched as a child.

And, of course, we say goodbye to Jane Garvey who leaves Woman's Hour after 13 years. The journalist Elizabeth Day quizzes Jane, and we listen back to some of her funniest moments.

Presenter: Melanie Abbott Producer: Rosie Stopher Editor: Sarah Crawley

Women and the Archers: how farming has changed, female scriptwriters, the role of gossip and future characters. Jan 01, 2021

Show notes

Woman's Hour celebrates the 70th anniversary of The Archers, looking at the female characters and storylines that have shaped the programme, presented by Felicity Finch (Ruth Archer).

How have the roles of women in farming changed over the last 70 years in the real world and in The Archers? From Jill Archer who is often portrayed more as a traditional farmer's wife to Ruth who is very much in partnership with David to Pip who is a thoroughly modern farmer and appears to be in pole position to inherit the farm. Helen Archer has also made a foray into cheese-making. Felicity hears from Mary Quicke of Quicke’s cheeses, who is cited by Agricultural editor of The Archers as an inspiration for Helen’s storyline.

Female scriptwriters only began on The Archers in 1975. They brought a new perspective to the programme, revitalising its profile and cementing its place in the British psyche. One of the first women to write for the show was Mary Cutler. She joins Felicity to talk about what it was like during those early years and her most memorable stories for female characters during her 40 years writing for the show. Felicity also talks to Naylah Ahmed, who has been writing for the show for 5 years.

Susan Carter is often at the heart of what is going on in the village of Ambridge and is known as the village gossip. According to a recent study, men and women gossip on average for 52 minutes every day. But Susan’s gossip is often perceived as malicious and small-minded. Charlotte Martin who plays Susan actually works as a psychologist when she’s not on the programme. She joins Felicity, Dr Cara Courage and comedian Angela Barnes to discuss the role of gossip on the show.

One of the unique and strange things about playing a character in Ambridge – is that the storylines unfold over years, so you grow old with the programme. Younger characters, as they age, inherit the standing of more established characters, and none of them know where they might end up. So we asked the actor Katie Redford – who plays Lily and Emerald O’Hanrahan who plays Emma to talk about their hopes for their characters in the future. Our guests also muse on the characters who might be missing that they hope might turn up in Ambridge one day.

Presenter: Felicity Finch Producer: Clare Walker

Looking back on a momentous year & Jane Garvey's last programme Dec 31, 2020

Show notes

We look back at the end of a momentous year. Jane revisits listeners we spoke to during 2020, Sarah whose father died from Covid in April, Lizzie who gave birth alone to baby Bibi in May, Gillian who’s been battling with Long Covid, and Deborah whose (good-natured) bickering with her partner escalated during lockdown.

And author, journalist and How to Fail podcaster Elizabeth Day interviews Jane about all the things that have and haven't gone right during her time at Woman's Hour.

Presenter: Jane Garvey Interviewed guest: Elizabeth Day Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

What's in a name? Dec 31, 2020

Show notes

What do our first names really say about us? More than you might think, according to Dr Jane Pilcher, Associate Professor at the University of Leicester. She claims that our names often reveal important clues about our age, social class and ethnicity that might affect the way that we are treated by other people. She joins Jane, along with name expert and the founder of the British Baby Names website, Eleanor Nickerson to discuss what's in a name.

How has this classic British name become synonymous with being middle of the road? The actor Jane Asher turned 71 earlier this month and was born in the year that Jane entered the UK top 50. Jane Brody celebrated her 30th birthday last week and was born the year after Jane stopped being a UK top 100 name.

Woman's Hour listener Victoria Smillie wanted to change her surname following her divorce, but realised in doing so that she had never been happy with her given name, Lesley, either. So she changed both. They are joined by another of our listeners, Tracy, who truly hates her name but can't quite bring herself to lose it. By the age of three, Esther Robertson had had three different first names and surnames. Esther joins Jane to discuss how her changing name has affected her life.

The author Charlotte Mendelson keeps lists of names and can deliberate for hours about what to call the characters in her novels. She joins us along with the journalist and editor Alex Clark to discuss the best and worst names in books.

Presenter: Jane Garvey Producer: Laura Northedge.

Getting old Dec 30, 2020

Show notes

More and more of us are living longer but we don’t talk enough about what it means to be old, according to Consultant Geriatrician Dr Lucy Pollock. The author of ‘The Book about Getting Older’ tells us about what she’s learnt about looking after the old and their families over many years, and the practical things that people can do to make things happier in old age. We also hear from Anna Dixon, CEO of the Centre for Ageing Better. Exercise - and building muscle - can help you stay healthier longer into old age. Dr Niharika Duggal from the University of Birmingham explains how muscle improves our immunity. Janine Rickus from Extend, an organisation that specialises in exercise classes for older people, gives advice on the moves that'll keep you on your feet in old age.

Presenter: Jane Garvey Producer: Dianne McGregor

Women and Space: Nasa's Holly Ridings, the psychology of space travel, Rocket Women and the cultural significance of space Dec 28, 2020

Show notes

Holly Ridings is the first woman to be NASA's chief flight director. She was appointed in 2018 and is responsible for missions to the International Space Station, the Orion spacecraft and commercial spacecraft. She is also in charge of the Artemis programme - named after Apollo's twin sister - which will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before and potentially lead to further missions to Mars. She is responsible for 32 flight directors who are overseeing human spaceflight at the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

How do you know if you’re fit enough psychologically to go into space? What do you need to do to survive in such close quarters with other people? When it comes to Mars, the focus is often on how to get there: the rockets, the engines, the fuel. But upon arrival, what will it actually be like? Jane speaks to Kate Greene author of “Once Upon a Time I Lived On Mars” and to Dr Iya Whiteley, Director of the Centre for Space Medicine at Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London.

What are the jobs for women in space? Vinita Marwaha Madill is founder of Rocket Women which aims to inspire women around the world and provide advice on working in the space and technology industries.

And finally, what is the cultural significance of space and the moon to us? It is the site of so much folklore, myth and legends and has spawned countless books, films and songs. Looking up at the stars is a trope of romance – but it also a reminder of how small and insignificant our own lives are – seen against the life of the cosmos. For that reason many ask – should we even be going to the moon or Mars? Jane discusses this with the folksinger Karine Polwart who is writing a new theatre piece called “The Only Light Was Stars” and Dr. Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian who is a driector, member of the SETi Institute, Vice-Chair of The Committee for the Cultural Utilisation of Space and director and founder of the International Space Orchestra in NASA.

Presenter: Jane Garvey Producer: Clare Walker

Oti Mabuse's second Strictly win; Virtual child protection conferences; Liz Berry's poetry Dec 26, 2020

Show notes

Labour MP Stella Creasy joins us to discuss buy now pay later services, and whether they should be regulated.

Oti Mabuse and partner Bill Bailey have been crowned Strictly Come Dancing champions as they took the 2020 glitter ball trophy home on Saturday. Oti Mabuse is the first professional to win the competition two years in a row. Next year, she is going on tour with her new show ‘I AM HERE', which explores her journey from growing up in South Africa, to becoming a multi-award winning dancer.

The mezzo-soprano Patricia Hammond is celebrating the parlour song. Composed by women, these domestic songs of the Victorian era have largely been marginalised or forgotten. In her new book and CD, She Wrote the Songs, she tells us about the women behind the songs and their importance to musical history.

We heard earlier in the pandemic that in-person meetings for vulnerable children had become mostly impossible. But now child protection professionals feel that face-to-face conferences are unlikely to ever resume. So what does that mean for the children in question? And what is missed as a result? Lisa Harker from the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory joins us.

A new BBC three-part drama Black Narcissus tells the story of a group of Anglo-Catholic nuns who travel to the Himalayas to set up a school in an abandoned clifftop palace, which was once known as the 'House of Women'. It's adapted from Rumer Godden's 1939 novel, and the writer Amanda Coe joins Jane to discuss.

The breast surgeon and breast cancer survivor, Liz O'Riordan, tells us the story behind her 'Jar of Joy'.

And the award-winning poet Liz Berry shares her evocative poetry inspired by her love for the Black Country.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Rosie Stopher Editor: Beverley Purcell

Christmas Day on Joy Dec 25, 2020

Show notes

Christmas Day programme about Joy.

Jane Garvey is joined by the Rev. Kate Bottley, who brings the Christian perspective of joy at Christmas, and talks about her personal passion for ice water swimming.

Natalie Maddix is the founder and Creative Director of the House Gospel Choir. She describes the joy of communal singing and shares some of the choir's uplifting music.

The breast surgeon and breast cancer survivor, Liz O'Riordan, tells us the story behind her 'Jar of Joy'. The crime writer Sophie Hannah explains her theory of finding joy - even in the most adverse of circumstances.

Tonia Buxton is a chef and consultant at the Real Greek Restaurants. She gives details of her family's ‘dirty’ Christmas sandwiches and her family recipes for Greek Liver stuffing.

Woman's Hour listener Joy Barnard tells her story of being adopted at Christmas in 1961, and Lynette and Daisy reveal what brings them personal joy.

Presented by Jane Garvey Producer: Louise Corley

RECIPES

Greek Christmas Liver Stuffing

Ingredients 50g/2oz butter 1 onion finely chopped livers from your turkey finely chopped ( I like to add another pack of 200g ) ½ cup/ 75g/3oz long grain white rice rinsed ½ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground cloves ½ cup/ 75g/3oz of sultanas. ½ cup/ 75g/3oz of pine kernels 1 ½ cups/275ml/ 10fl oz water sea salt & coarsely ground black pepper

Method In a frying pan add the butter & fry the onion until softened. Add the liver & continue to fry till browned. Then add the spices, seasoning, pine kernels & sultanas & rice. Stir in the water & bring to the boil. Cover with a lid & simmer for 10/12 minutes. You can either stuff the bird or put it in a shallow casserole dish, cover with foil & warm before serving.

Melomakarona Greek Christmas biscuits

This wonderful recipe is one I have taken (with permission ) from my friend Asimakis Chaniotis who is the most exciting young Greek Chef who has a Michelin star as well as many other accolades. He has refined this traditional recipe that is handed down from generation to generation. https://www.asimakischaniotis.co.uka

Ingredients

For the syrup 500 g water 800 g granulated sugar 150 g honey 3 stick(s) cinnamon 3 cloves 1 orange, cut in half 1st mixture

400 g orange juice 400 g seed oil 180 g olive oil 50 g icing sugar 1/2 teaspoon(s) cloves 2-3 teaspoon(s) cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon(s) nutmeg 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda orange zest, of 2 oranges

2nd mixture 1 kg all-purpose flour 200 g semolina, fine

Method For the syrup : Boil all the ingredients apart from the honey until the sugar melts and let it to be cold for 3-4 hours

Preheat the oven 190 In one big bowl mix with a hand whisk all the ingredients from the 1st mixture In a separate bowl mix the ingredients from the 2nd mixture

Combine the 1st bowl to the 2nd and mix by hand gently

Bake them for 20-25’ Soak the hot cookies to the cold syrup Let them drain on a wire rack

Drizzle with honey (optional ) and walnuts

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